ro-monster

No, please don't announce that you're about to pass me! You might yell, "On your left!" but what I hear is, "BRAAP!" By the time I've checked my mirror for an unknown hazard and managed to parse what you said, you're 50 feet ahead of me. It's annoying and completely unnecessary. A bell would be more useful, but for a normal pass, even that isn't needed.

I have a mirror and constantly scan for potential hazards or conflicts with other road users, including those behind me. I strive to be predictable and not make random, unexpected moves. I try not to deviate from my line without first checking my mirror and glancing over my shoulder. The fact that there's a bike approaching behind you should not come as a surprise.

Wogster

Usually when someone says "on your left", all you hear is "left", this is because your brain needs to figure out that someone is talking and that they are talking to you. When all you hear is a command like "left", which way are you going to go? Most likely, left.

raymeedc

This is, of course, the best method to avoid accidents. If it wasn't obvious before, the varied responses & attitudes this thread has received should convince most that trying to figure out what the mindset/capabilities/reactions etc. of another cyclist might be at any given time is pure conjecture. Your best defense is your own precautionary awareness..... which would necessitate, IMO, a mirror. I feel naked & vulnerable without one, as I would in a car sans mirrors.

chipcom 

No, it's the people. Some people can ride/run/walk while listening to other things, some can't. On a MUP, I'd bet the majority fit into the can't camp.

bykemike 

A good rule ..but does it apply to a bicycle when the rider is not aware he is about to be passed?

BTW, I couldn't agree more about the lanes needing to be wider. On my favorite stretch of road there are often cars parked in the bike lane, which adds to the fun I can tell you.

Mike

BluesDawg

+1
If most passing riders gave plenty of clearance rather than zooming by inches away, this thread probably would not have been started.

tony2v

I say "Stay" from my velodrome instincts and then look at them, smile and say either "Good Morning or Good Afternoon" as I zip by.

PatW

That might actually be good advice. I recall being on a ride. There was one stretch of road that was two lane with high speed traffic that passed pretty close. I generally feel pretty confident on roads but the close passing on that stretch was pretty unpleasant. I mentioned that fact to another rider at the end of the day. He said that he just rode intentionally erratically. He said that all of the drivers gave him a wide berth on passing.

Hermes

I do not use a mirror but use the technique I learned racing at the velodrome. I turn my head to touch my chin to my shoulder while keeping my shoulders square to the direction of travel. I use the peripheral vision to look behind.

Where my wife and I cycle, we have a lot of cyclists on the road as well as cars. I pass and get passed by cyclists all the time. Racing at the track, requires one to have a keen sense of the surroundings, to be predictable and hold ones line. We read the situation several moves ahead. This is much like driving on the freeway and watching your distance to the car in front while assessing the speed and movement of cars well ahead while knowing what is behind.

If I am riding with someone and we are about to pass another cyclist, I assess the capability, speed and position of the other cyclist long before I am going to pass. If I see two people riding side by side talking or wobbly riding, I warn the other riders with me. I time the traffic and pass at a wide margin at a speed differential so I am past them quickly. I do not cut in front of them too quickly.

If there is a lot of traffic and a wobbly rider, I will approach, stay back and say passing to see what happens. If the cyclists holds the line, I will pass quickly.

Most cyclists that pass me do not say anything and I am very happy with that. If they say hi, I always respond.

The other point when I pass is that I am not interested in picking up cyclists that I do not know that want to draft. I approach a cyclist and keep a couple of bike lengths back. I accelerate rapidly and pass at a wide margin. Now, I have a couple of bike lengths on the passed rider and I am going faster. If the cyclist I just passed, had any idea of drafting me, he/she will have to increase speed and bridge up to me. This will take a lot of power. Most cannot bridge up.

AzTallRider

I'm always tempted to say "Hold your course!" from my sailing days.

himespau 

I don't know whether it's that my bike is noisy or if I'm sensitive to the noise of the wind, but I've had several times where I got passed by a bike I didn't know was there. Only a few times has it been an issue, mainly when someone I passed apparently decided to suck my wheel until I get stuck behind a slower person (ped or cyclist) and try to pass them as the wheel sucker has decided to pass me. My saying on your left or ringing my bell to the person in front of me apparently doesn't alert them that now would be a bad time to pass me.

wphamilton

There are times I won't call out. A novice rider riding erratically by himself for example - I'll wait till it's clear and plenty of space, but I don't necessarily trust his judgement in the situation. I don't want him to react at all so I'll just pass.

Experienced riders who've already seen me don't often get my call-out either. If the cyclist looks even a little sketchy or unaware I will call out. Maybe I'm wrong but I think unnecessary warnings are annoying.

DX-MAN

As long as you don't hit/brush me as you go by, or are doing 30+ when I'm doing 16, we're cool.

Several years ago, before I carried repair tools, I caught a flat, and had to walk the bike home from downtown. I heard the ringing bell of a local recumbent rider -- when he was a mere two feet from me; traffic drowned out his near-incessant ringing until he got that close. I wasn't happy, but it wasn't his fault, or mine.

I do, however, follow the admonishment published by the local greenway network group, to ALWAYS call out before passing someone, and do it reasonably. From about 30 feet or so, after slowing some, I'll call out, "COMIN' AROUND!" It works.

Of course, there are areas where the path is so wide, no callout is necessary.

Streets? Never an issue, I never really pass anybody; not fast enough on my fat tires to pass the packs of roadies I see about 2-3x/month, and only about 10 other people in town commute by bike, it seems.

gcottay

When I pass you without advance warning consider it a compliment. If you were not holding a good line, seemed otherwise sketchy on your riding skills or were riding at a snail's pace I would have polluted the sonic atmosphere with a loud "On your left."

nondes 

There's a big difference between someone who rides as if they are going somewhere and deviates for the odd obstacle and someone who wanders around on the trail , rides on the wrong side on blind corners and looks as if they could do a u-turn at any moment. If I'm about to dodge an obstacle I glance over my shoulder - it's all about taking responsibility for your own safety and not leaving it in the hands of others. Advance warning depends on the situation. If the trail is wide and the person is holding a good line there's no need.

OldsCOOL

One day on the area's MUP there were a group of bike mom's who rode up front of their offspring. So I approached very slowly trying to strategize a method for picking my way through (they thought it was some sort of private sidewalk). I followed close behind after clipping down about 6 gears saying, "on your left". No change. I repeated it louder, "on your left"....still no change. So as I came closer I hollered "ON YOUR LEFT". They about crapped a christmas turkey, started yelling at me about scaring them. I told them to pay attention to others.

That was the day I drastically cut back on using that very nice, scenic 13mi stretch of path.

donheff

Ha. The Capital Crescent Trail from DC to Bethesda is like that. Most users are sensible but I will occasionally run into a gaggle of Bethesda mom's spilling across both lanes. Some of them act like you should just follow at their speed - very rude but entertaining.

jackb

A little common sense would go a long way here. Don't pass other cyclists too closely. If there is auto traffic, wait till it passes, then pull out into the lane and give the cyclist being passed plenty of room. I always thought it was simple bicyclist courtesy to announce that you are going to pass someone. I do it loudly and from a long distance away if I am on a bike without a bell. I find that a bell works well. I have this tiny thing called an incredibell that works well. Safety first should dictate the proper behavior in any passing situation.

TheHen

I really don't care if the mommies were scared, I just hope you didn't frighten the children. Long ago there was the concept of "kiddie right-of-way", which meant we adults were supposed to take extra care to allow children to be children and to not put them at risk or intimidate them just because they weren't behaving like responsible adults. I would hope we can bring that back, at least on the bike paths. I am always happy to see children on the bike path and will gladly slow to their speed for as long as it takes me to find a safe and pleasant way to pass, even if it means I get to do a bit of cyclocross.

OldsCOOL

The children knew I was there....it was the cackling hens up front that were oblivious to the matter. And you'd think they would keep a better eye on the little ones.

plodderslusk

Children and dogs are unpredictable roadusers and we have to be very cautious around them. Grownups I expect to behave pretty rationally when they know there are others they have to share the road with. I go for a swift passing without warning.

nondes 

One trail I use includes a bridge over the subway line (at the surface in this location). People with kids and dogs wait for a train to pass under the bridge. When it comes along the kids wave and the train driver often gives a "toot" and both kids and dogs go crazy, running from one side of the bridge to the other as the train passes underneath. You have to be ready for that.

caddis1

"On your left" is just common sense. I've gone down when someone veered into the "passing" lane. They had ear buds and couldn't hear me anyway. Not the way I wanted to test my helmet. If I'm doing 20 mph or better I want you to know I'm coming. I started wearing a mirror on my glasses and I feel a lot better seeing what's running up behind me.

McCallum

I have said "on your left" as I passed others and scared the s#$t out of them. I think most riders who have not done a group ride, like a century, have not learned to do this. I learned it on either a Diabetes ride or the MS 150 I did years ago. If a rider or a pedestrian does not know/understand the idea, all it serves is to scare the poo out of them!

While I would like a cyclist who is about to pass me at wharp speed to yell passing or on you left; I would also like it if cars would lay the heck off the horn! I have had people who are a foot and a half behind me beep their stupid horn; which make me jump; the only good thing is I am right handed and I usually move right and not left. While I do not have the best hearing I usually know they are there unless the wind is really bad!! Mirrors and motor noise are a dead give away that there is a "car back!"

Bob Ross

My wife has said (repeatedly) that she would rather take a fall -- or, in all seriousness, a major body-threatening crash -- than hit a dog.

...but she'll take out a kid in a heartbeat. F**k those rugrats. That's why I love her!